초록 ▼

A method and an apparatus are described which are useful for respiratory tract therapy. The method comprises contact of mucous membranes with vapor-phase water in the substantial absence of nucleating water-vapor condensation particulate, and includes the use of a heated delivery tube, unheated nasa

A method and an apparatus are described which are useful for respiratory tract therapy. The method comprises contact of mucous membranes with vapor-phase water in the substantial absence of nucleating water-vapor condensation particulate, and includes the use of a heated delivery tube, unheated nasal cannula, for the delivery of a nasal cannula vapor/gas stream to a nasal passageway at delivery rates in excess of 8 liters per minute at dew point temperatures equal to or less than dry bulb temperatures and heating of a delivery tube vapor-gas stream to a temperature sufficiently greater than the canula nare dew point use temperature in order to cause a readily observable cannula condensation film to form near the exit use ports thereby signaling that the appropriate cannula delivery stream dew point-dry bulb temperature differential exists which insures that the dry bulb nare exit temperature is equal to or greater than the nare dew point use temperature.

대표청구항 ▼

A method useful for respiratory tract and/or mucous membrane treatment comprising: (a) providing a permeable membrane comprised of a hydrophilic hollow fibers having diameters of less than 500 microns and a wall thickness of less than 25 microns, said membrane structured and adapted to permit a liqu

A method useful for respiratory tract and/or mucous membrane treatment comprising: (a) providing a permeable membrane comprised of a hydrophilic hollow fibers having diameters of less than 500 microns and a wall thickness of less than 25 microns, said membrane structured and adapted to permit a liquid-vapor boundary substrate to form adjacent to an opposing vapor-gas boundary; (b) delivering a gas to said vapor-gas membrane boundary; (c) delivering a liquid to said liquid-vapor membrane boundary substrate from a membrane location dispersed and spaced apart from said vapor -gas membrane boundary; (d) delivering negative liquid pressure to said liquid-vapor membrane boundary; (e) delivering positive gas pressure to said vapor-gas membrane boundary; (f) regulating the temperature at said liquid-vapor membrane boundary substrate to form a humidified vapor-gas stream; (g) delivering said humidified vapor/gas stream to a heated delivery tube connected to an unheated nasal cannula for the delivery of a nasal cannula vapor/gas stream to a nasal passageway at delivery rates in excess of 8 liter per minute at dew point temperatures equal to or less than dry bulb temperatures and (h) heating of said delivery tube vapor/gas stream to a temperature sufficiently greater than the cannula nare dew point use temperature, which is within the range of from about 99 to 109 degrees Fahrenheight, in order to cause a readily observable cannula condensation film to form near the nare exit use ports which signals that the appropriate cannula delivery stream dew point-dry bulb temperature differential exists which insures that the dry bulb nare exit temperature is equal to or greater than said nare dew point use temperature.